Effective treatment of psoriasis: a set of measures

Psoriasis is a very unpleasant skin disease that brings a lot of inconvenience to the patient who is unlucky enough to get it.In addition to the fact that the skin looks very unaesthetic, the patient constantly experiences many other unpleasant sensations.Yes, the disease is not fatal, but the patient often has to radically change his habits and lifestyle.

Unfortunately, even today it is simply impossible to completely cure psoriasis.However, there are many techniques and treatments that can greatly help and greatly alleviate the patient's suffering.

The best effect can be achieved by using complex therapy, where they try to influence the disease from different angles.For this purpose, various treatment methods are combined.In today's material, we will consider in more detail how to properly conduct a complex treatment of psoriasis and what can be included in it, as well as what points should be taken into account.

Factors to consider when choosing a treatment

First, let us remind you that you should never self-medicate!Even if you are completely confident in your strength and abilities, it is still better to consult a professional dermatologist.That will be better.

Before prescribing treatment, the doctor will consider the following factors:

• age and gender of the patient - the older he is, the more difficult the disease is to treat;
• hereditary factors - the risk of the disease increases when parents or close relatives also suffer from psoriasis;
• phase of the disease - the later you contact a specialist, the more difficult the treatment will be;
• the severity of the disease - when psoriasis is mild, fighting it is much easier;
• the form of the course and the affected parts of the body - the more severe it is, the more difficult it is to choose an effective treatment;
• possible allergic reactions - in this case, not every drug can be taken;
• place and type of work - some enterprises have very unfavorable working conditions, which has a very negative impact on the general state of health and the development of psoriasis;
• region of residence - if you live in an area with highly polluted air, this negatively affects the perception of various diseases and psoriasis develops more intensively;
• the presence of bad habits - regular smoking and drinking alcohol affect the internal organs, which increases the risk of psoriasis;
• concomitant diseases - if you suffer from some diseases of the internal organs, psoriasis can be a complication.

You will hardly be able to correctly determine all the factors yourself.If you start self-medication, it is fraught with serious complications.Therefore, a specialist dermatologist will necessarily prescribe the necessary tests to determine all other factors and only then prescribe treatment.

Complexes of measures for the treatment of psoriasis

In order for the treatment of psoriasis at home to be as effective as possible, various complexes of measures are often used.Within them, different drugs are used at the same time, which affect different body systems.So the treatment regimen may include:

• external treatment— various creams, ointments to affect the skin and remove external signs of the disease;
• systemic drugs- tablets, mixtures that affect the internal organs and fight the disease from the inside;
• physiotherapy procedures- to reduce inflammatory processes - laser and cryotherapy, acupressure, ultraviolet radiation;

• spa treatment- therapeutic procedures, for example, leeches, mud baths, as well as fresh air, since the resorts are usually located in an ecologically clean area;
• special diet- exclude foods that can harm the gastrointestinal tract, for example, fried, spicy, salty and pickled foods.

In fact, there are many methods of treatment.Let's take a closer look at each method from a set of therapeutic measures.

External treatment

Basically, how does psoriasis start to develop?First, the function of the epidermis - the horny layer of the skin - is impaired.Because of this, the skin no longer receives the necessary amount of moisture and becomes too dry.Gradually, dryness and flaking increase, and due to the fact that the particles of dead skin do not have time to be removed, the so-called psoriatic plaques appear.All this is accompanied by itching and inflammation.During periods of exacerbation, they do not subside either day or night.

To eliminate all these symptoms, drugs are prescribed for the external treatment of psoriasis.They are also prescribed strictly individually.For what purpose are external preparations used?

1. Eliminate pain, relieve swelling, reduce peeling, and also improve appearance by reducing rashes and reducing the number of psoriatic plaques.
2. Minimize the influence of various external factors.
3. Act as quickly as possible on the foci of the disease and bring quick relief.

External preparations for psoriasis include ointments, creams, lotions, gels and other preparations.All of them are divided into two main groups: hormonal and non-hormonal.Let's look at each group separately.

1. Non-hormonal drugs.The name speaks for itself - the drugs do not contain hormonal components.They act on the epidermis and quickly remove the dead layers of the skin, disinfect the damaged areas, have an antiviral and antimicrobial effect, and also qualitatively moisturize the skin and increase its elasticity.Such preparations contain beeswax, natural oils and other natural ingredients, as well as salicylic acid, dithranol, sulfur, urea and other substances.They have a number of excellent properties and act on the skin affected by psoriasis very quickly and effectively.
2. Hormonal drugs.They contain a certain amount of synthetic hormone from the group of corticosteroids.Many experts prefer them, because due to the presence of the hormone in the composition, they act almost instantly, literally in minutes, providing the desired effect.But unlike non-hormonal drugs, such drugs should be used with caution.First, if you delay the therapy a little, it can lead to hormonal imbalance and, as a result, serious complications.Second, if you suddenly stop taking the drug, the so-called "withdrawal effect" can occur, in which the symptoms not only return, but also intensify.

When and how to choose the right group of drugs?What drugs are best to use?

1. In the advanced stage, ointments containing salicylic acid, as well as anti-inflammatory hormonal ointments, are most often used.Naturally, in the beginning, attempts will be made to achieve the desired effect with drugs with a lower concentration of the active substance.If there is no effect, then stronger ones are used.These drugs contain a higher dose of fluoride.For the most part, patients experience positive dynamics within two weeks after the start of regular use.
2. Medicines that do not contain chlorine and fluorine are used to treat the elderly and children, which significantly reduces the number of possible allergic reactions.These drugs are relatively new, they appeared on the pharmaceutical market only a few years ago, but they are gradually becoming more popular.
3. Ointments and creams based on dethranol have a quick and long-lasting effect when used.The beginning of treatment involves the prescription of minimum doses with a gradual increase.Medicines are primarily aimed at reducing inflammation.However, other side effects may occur, such as swelling, itching and redness, which, against the background of similar symptoms of psoriasis, somewhat limits the scope of use of drugs from this group.
4. One of the new drugs is a drug that directly affects the causative agents of psoriasis.Its main active ingredient is calcipotriol, which suppresses the development of pathogenic processes.After only two months, the general condition of the skin significantly improves, the number of inflamed and damaged areas, as well as peeling decreases.It should be noted that in most cases there are no side effects typical of other psoriasis medications.There are cases where one course of treatment is sufficient for remission lasting up to a year.The strongest effect is achieved when the treatment is carried out with an integrated approach and the effect is achieved in combination with other means, most often physiotherapy procedures.

We would like to draw attention to the fact that long-term use of drugs is not recommended, as addiction can develop.As a result, the effectiveness of the treatment decreases significantly.

Systemic drugs

As already mentioned, one of the possible causes of psoriasis is diseases of the internal organs.Accordingly, to get rid of psoriasis, you need to take drugs that can help in the treatment regimen of diseases of internal organs.These can be tablets, injections, intravenous injections and other drugs that must be selected individually.What therapy can be prescribed for psoriasis?

1. Anti-inflammatory drugs will relieve inflammation and reduce the impact of various viruses and microbes.A comprehensive psoriasis treatment regimen is often used.
2. Antiallergic drugs.Since allergies often make psoriasis symptoms worse, these medications can help greatly.
3. Antipsoriatic drugs.They act on the skin recovery process, normalize the life cycle of its cells, and also eliminate the side effects of the disease.
4. Antifungal drugs.Since the fungal infection greatly complicates the course of psoriasis, it is very important to fight it effectively.
5. Medicines to combat the pathological formation of new cells that do not have a specific purpose.Over time, in the absence of a treatment regimen, such cells can accumulate in the body in huge numbers.

Depending on the complexity of the condition and the degree of damage to other organs, other, more powerful drugs may be used.But despite the good effect, you should not abuse them, as the side effects can be very serious.

Physiotherapy procedures

Although it is impossible to cure psoriasis only with physiotherapy procedures, with proper selection they can both enhance the effect of drugs and speed up the recovery process in the last stage of complex treatment.What procedures are prescribed for the complex treatment of psoriasis?

1. Ultraviolet radiation or phototherapy.A special agent is prescribed that improves the perception of ultraviolet radiation by the body, after which the surface of the skin affected by psoriasis is irradiated with ultraviolet waves of a certain length.
2. Laser therapy.It should be noted that the laser waves act only on the diseased skin, without affecting the healthy tissue.
3. Cryotherapy.Liquid air, nitrogen or helium with a temperature of up to -296 degrees is applied briefly to the damaged areas of the body surface.
4. Ichthyotherapy.The affected areas are treated with a special type of fish.
5. Hirudotherapy is treatment with leeches.

6. Therapeutic baths with soothing and anti-inflammatory herbs such as chamomile or yarrow, as well as starch and linseed.
7. Acupuncture.It is true that you should be careful when choosing a specialist, because an incorrectly performed procedure can have unpredictable consequences that can take a long time to heal.

Balneotherapy

A visit to a sanatorium or spa can significantly improve the patient's well-being.It is true that they are sent there only in the final, regressive stage of the disease, as a last resort for complex therapy.In addition to the fact that various procedures are prescribed to the patient in such an institution, the opportunity to rest from daily cares and a more favorable ecological environment further contribute to recovery.

In addition to prescribing conventional drugs, the sanatorium or resort will necessarily provide dietary nutrition, physiotherapy, as well as healing baths and procedures.Depending on the location, the sanatorium may offer hydrogen sulfide, silicon, radon, iodine-bromine and other baths.A good sanatorium will fill you with energy for many months.

Conclusion

Complex therapy is most often used to treat psoriasis.Only an integrated approach can achieve good results, as each individual type of treatment will be ineffective, especially at a later stage of treatment.